The AI Tools That Keep Your Programme Honest
A programme that no-one updates is a liability. A delay analysis that no-one has time to write is a lost claim. Here is how to keep both current.
4 April 2026 · 5 min read · 2 tools · Updated 22 Apr 2026
The programme is the most important document on a fit-out project and the one most likely to be out of date by week three. It is also the document that determines whether your extension of time claim has any traction, whether the employer's delay arguments hold up, and whether your subcontractors can be held to the dates they signed up to. Keeping it current is not optional. Finding the time to do so properly is the problem these two tools address.
Programme Creator
Phased baseline programme with realistic durations, dependencies, and procurement lead times
A fit-out programme needs to reflect the actual sequence of works - demolition, structural alterations, first fix MEP, partitions, second fix, finishes, furniture, commissioning, and handover - with realistic durations based on the floor area and complexity of the project, not the durations that made the tender look competitive.
The Programme Creator generates a structured baseline programme with logical dependencies between activities, float allocation, and key milestone dates. It accounts for phased occupier access, weekend working constraints, and the procurement lead times that always catch people out in the early stages. The output is a programme you can present to the client and defend in a progress meeting, not one you have assembled to make the completion date look achievable.
Why it matters
An unrealistic baseline programme cannot be used for delay analysis. If the programme was wrong from the start, every subsequent update is wrong too. Starting with a realistic baseline is the only way to have a credible delay story later.
Key features
- ✓Trade sequence with logical dependencies and float allocation
- ✓Phased access and occupier management milestone flags
- ✓Procurement lead time integration for long-lead items
- ✓NEC4 Accepted Programme or JCT master programme format output
AI Delay Analysis Tool
Time impact analysis consistent with SCL Protocol 2nd Edition - ready for adjudication
Delay analysis on a fit-out project rarely follows the textbook. You have concurrent delays, employer-caused disruption, subcontractor underperformance, and a programme that was probably optimistic. The AI Delay Analysis Tool works through the chronology of events using a time impact analysis approach consistent with the SCL Delay and Disruption Protocol 2nd Edition.
You input the delay events, the dates they occurred, and their relationship to programme activities - it produces a structured delay narrative with a critical path analysis, a summary of employer-caused delay versus contractor risk events, and an entitlement assessment. The output is something you can use in an extension of time submission, not something you have to rewrite from scratch.
Why it matters
Adjudicators applying the SCL Protocol look for a contemporaneous delay analysis with a clear critical path narrative. A delay submission written six months after the event from memory is not the same thing and does not carry the same weight.
Key features
- ✓Time impact analysis consistent with SCL Protocol 2nd Edition
- ✓Critical path delay vs float consumption distinction
- ✓Employer risk event vs contractor risk event categorisation
- ✓Extension of time entitlement summary with supporting chronology
Programme management is where fit-out projects win and lose. Not just commercially - in terms of relationships, reputation, and the likelihood of getting the next job with the same client. These tools make the programme work that is supposed to happen actually happen.
Written by a Senior PM with 18 years of UK fit-out experience. Content is for guidance only and does not constitute professional advice. Always verify against your specific contract and applicable legislation.